


So Cool but We Don’t Talk...

by lovetheskinyourinx



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Drug Use, Emo Zuko, F/F, F/M, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Modern Era, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Painter Sokka, Past Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Recreational Drug Use, Top Sokka (Avatar), Underage Drinking, Zukka week 2020, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, artist sokka, zuko has trauma, zuko is a fool
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25910854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovetheskinyourinx/pseuds/lovetheskinyourinx
Summary: Very heavily inspired by the Glass animals song Hot Sugar. I heard this song for the first time and fell in love and thought of  Zukka instantly. I have always shipped these boys but I thought I’d try my hand at writing.This fic is an AU that centers around the GAang’s life in California. Now, that’s not to say everyone in this story is originally FROM California.... hehe. I think you guys will really appreciate how I’ve incorporated bits of the characters’ identity from the show into this fic, but of course added my own little twist. That’s what a writer does. ;)
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Ozai & Zuko, Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Jet/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 68





	1. Smoke in your Slick Lips

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender, this is Aaron Ehasz’s world and I’m just fuckin around in it. 
> 
> Very important to note, everyone is aged up in this fic. Zuko, Sokka, Jet, Mai & Ty Lee have all graduated college. Mai & Ty are working on their grad school shit at UCSC. You’ll see about Zuko & Sokka... Katara, Toph, and Aang are still in college, they attend UCSC as well. In my fic, Zuko and Sokka are 23, Jet is 27, Katara is 19, Mai & Ty Lee are 22 (and dating) & Aang and Toph are 18.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys meet for the first time & sparks fly...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Zuko hated going out unprepared. A night out was usually his favorite if he knew it was happening... Aang had received an internship offer at his favorite solar energy plant, and of course the gaang wanted to celebrate. Zuko had just gotten out of his bubble bath and finished an episode of Desperate Housewives when Aang barged in and told him the good news. Now Zuko was grumpy because his quiet night in had been interrupted. He dragged himself through his wardrobe of all black clothing, reminding himself that Aang deserved this; he was doing well. This was apparently a club that catered to LGBTQ+ youth. Zuko had to admit that he had smiled when Aang dropped that fact in. Zuko had always felt swayed towards guys, his brief but incredibly awakening relationship with a Jet could attest to that. Jet had taught Zuko things he never would have considered himself capable of. He had to admit he sometimes called him up in the late hours of the night. When he was feeling overly emotional and needed cuddling...

“Zuko! Cmon man I can hear the My Chemical Romance blasting from your room!” Aang cheerfully announced as Zuko heard his footsteps bound up the stairs. Zuko groaned into his black MCR shirt. He knew Aang wouldn’t be a fan of the black on black on black combo he had going on. 

“Aang, before you say anything just know I was planning on wearing grey but my only grey shirt is The Clash one and its dirty and I-“ Zuko rambled when he heard Aang standing at the doorway of his room. His therapist had told him Zuko’s reluctance to wear color was a sign of him slipping back into a depressive episode. 

“Zuko, you look great man! Cmon lets go, Toph is waiting in the Uber.” Zuko groaned inwardly. He knew it was never a good idea to make Toph wait, but he wanted to do everything in his power to avoid starting this night. He made sure to apply eyeliner to his healthy eye and to comb his hair out. His hair had gotten so long he couldn't decide what to do with it, he figured leaving it down was his best bet. Every now and then Zuko felt proud of his appearance, and this was one of the times he had to admit he looked pretty good. He was in his tightest pair of ripped black jeans and his Dr. Martens. He felt ready to face the night. He bounded down the stairs behind Aang to find Toph in the kitchen messily taking shots.

“Toph, I was under the impression you were in the Uber.” Zuko stated exhaustedly.

“No Sparky, I got bored and wanted to get my party on! Snoozles is...holding down the fort. He told me to drink enough liquor for two people.” Toph sluts our. How many shots had she done?

“Where’s Aang?” Zuko questioned, sweat beginning to form under his brow.

“Bathroom Sparky.” It was another 5 minutes before Aang emerged smiling with glazed over eyes.

“Jesus Aang did you smoke weed in the bathroom?” Zuko huffed. He was beginning to feel like the only responsible adult here. How did that kid, who had just started growing out his shaggy dark brown hair this year get access to any form of drugs? It was at this moment that Aang’s phone rang. Zuko could make out Aang motioning for him and Toph to leave. Toph grabbed the liquor and bottle of Sprite and Zuko took the keys from Aang to lock up. Trust his friends to pregame harder than anyone he knew. How did Toph have such high alcohol tolerance? The street lights of LA were starting to overwhelm Zuko’s healthy eye; he had forgotten how intense the lights could be on his bad eye as well. That’s when Zuko saw him, his knight in shining armor. He swung open the door to the Uber with a cigarette in his mouth and long light brown wavy hair around his broad shoulders. Blue eyes contrasted with tan brow skin in the most gorgeous way. Zuko felt his mouth water. This man smelled of aftershave, smoke, and a hint of citrus. Zuko wanted to get lost in his scent. He nearly tripped getting Aang into the taxi and realized he had to snap out of it. After all, the handsome gorgeous stranger was sitting in the front. Zuko was in the back with Toph and Aang. The Uber grunted and then began speaking on the phone in a hushed tone. Zuko could not take his eyes off the gorgeous man in the front seat. He felt his heart palpitate whenever they accidentally locked eyes. God Zuko was pathetic. Had it really been this long since he got laid? Eventually, the gorgeous man broke the silence. 

“Zuzu right? Friend of Aang’s?” He said with an easy smirk. Zuko felt his face heat up. 

“It’s actually Zuko...no one calls me Zuzu anymore.”

“My bad Zuko, you ever been to The Smell?” The man seemed empathetic to Zuko’s strange request. He felt his heart swell.

“No I haven’t uh-“ Zuko felt his face get even hotter upon realizing he didn’t know this beautiful strangers name.

“Sokka’s the name, painting’s the game.”

“Ugh Snoozles do you have to be so corny all the time?” Toph chose the exact moment when Zuko’s heart was beating out his chest to chime in. Of fucking course. 

“Excuse me Toph for trying to warm our new friend up.” Sokka replied adding a little extra emphasis on her name as he shoot a smirk Toph’s way. The taxi drove through a green light, and with the flicker of light illuminating into the yellow cab, Zuko saw a hint of gold outlining Sokka’s blue eyes. He was convinced he’d died and went to heaven and this was his guardian angel.

“Sokka do you want a hit of the pen my man?” Aang casually asked with a goofy smile painted across his face.

“So that’s what you were-"

“Sure I’ll take a hit-" Zuko and Sokka, respectively, said at the same time. Aang just smiled sheepishly whilst Sokka pressed the little button on the pen and blew smoke into the Uber. The Uber was playing some shitty Top 40 track and Zuko felt himself growing bored. That was until he saw Sokka’s soft pink lips blowing Os in the Uber. Sokka flicked his tongue out briefly to wet his lips and Zuko all but moaned. The Uber finally lurched to a stop, Sokka smiled and passed the driver a cigarette. He then waltzed over to Zuko and slipped an arm around him. 

“The music in this club instantly puts me in the mood. You’ll see.” Sokka growled into Zuko’s ear. Zuko gulped. 

A few hours later, Zuko realized he needed a fucking a drink. He had seen Sokka grind on pretty much every attractive male there that night and he was exhausted. He was 5 shots in and seeing double of everything, he had a couple hits of Aang’s wax pen too cause why the hell not! He was just dying to spend more time with Sokka however. They had taken a smoke break together earlier into the night after Zuko had been introduced to a beautiful girl who was almost the spitting image of Sokka. She had taken to watching Aang and Toph and being the designated driver of the night. Zuko didn’t complain, there's no way he was doing that shit. The darker-haired boy was contemplating ordering his 6th shot of Vodka when he heard Sokka shout his name as he rushed over to him.

“Zuko I love Glass Animals! You have to dance with me to this song man...” It took Zuko a minute to realized the psychedelic mashup of sounds coming from the speakers currently was Glass Animals. Sokka had a cigarette in between his lips, and he had pulled his gorgeous, wavy hair back in a ponytail. Zuko could see the sides were shaved. He appreciated that detail in a man. Zuko couldn’t help but think the blue tints of Sokka’s eyes were the most beautiful he’d ever seen. Zuko could now take a good look at Sokka’s tan arms that were littered with tattoos. He blushed slightly upon seeing the veins in Sokka’s arms. 

“Sokka I can’t.”

“Zuko-"

“I love the song though. Really.” Zuko couldn’t help but think the lyric ‘I don’t wanna be around you just wanna be like you’ applied to his life permanently. God Zuko was such an idiot, and he really had to throw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh here it goes, my first ever Zukka fic :)) kudos & comments make my whole life!!


	2. Lemongrass Eyelids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko works through some internalized homophobia. Sokka gushes about Zuko to Katara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feat. An appearance from therapist Zhao. Yikes. Tw: domestic abuse mentioned (only a couple sentences, and not between Zukka ofc)

Zuko had always had a fascination with boys. 

For as long as he could remember he loved to be around his other Upstate New York buddies; the first time Zuko’s fascination stopped being purely innocent was with Jet. Zuko had participated in the occasional bathroom fling with the son of his father’s business partner sure, but he’d never known pleasure the way he did with Jet. Zuko was 16 and Jet was 20, and Jet would ravish him every night Ozai was out at business meetings. Ozai believed Jet to be just Zuko’s ACT tutor, but the man couldn’t have been more wrong. Jet would tell Zuko he was the most beautiful boy he’d ever been with and Zuko was enamored with him. So much so, he even told Jet how he got his scar. That all changed the day Jet raised a hand to Zuko. They had been arguing about something petty, but for the past few weeks Jet had been acting strange. He was tight with Zuko, never said more words than necessary and the younger male had to initiate all their conversations. The last few times his boyfriend had been over, Zuko found himself actually studying for the ACT. Jet had snapped and raised his hand and slapped Zuko; it all happened so fast he could barely register what had happened. He could have sworn Jet was just asking him to chose between orange chicken and crispy shrimp for dinner. After that their interactions were terse because to be honest, Zuko was terrified of Jet. Once the younger man made a 27 on his ACT (Ozai was livid), Jet and Zuko began seeing a lot less of each other. Zuko told Ozai he had started having nightmares again, and needed to go back to therapy.

It took him years to overcome this trauma, and he was convinced it was atonement for his sins. His therapist Zhao said that everyone had unnatural urges, but only the weakest submit to them. Zuko was ashamed of being weak, so he pushed that part of himself away. He pushed away the lust for strong muscular arms, a deep musky scent, and a thick bulge pressed against his plump ass. He only allowed himself this pleasure late and night when he was sexting Jet. Or sneaking out to meet Jet. Or getting railed so hard he nearly passed out by Jet. Zuko kind of had a problem giving up his ex. So what? Jet knew the boundaries. They only met after midnight, cuddling for ten minutes max and only after a particularly rough session. Zuko knows he craves more intimacy, but no matter how fucked up he is a part of his brain still acknowledges that he couldn’t get that from Jet. The moments he went to Jet for sex were few and far between. He left with a burn of shame in the back of his throat, but Zuko felt the orgasms were worth it. An even more terrifying part of his brain acknowledges he could most likely get that intimacy with no shame from Sokka. Sokka made Zuko’s heart beat out his chest, and god that fucking song. It was practically stereo porn, every guy in the club was grinding on each other to it. The fact that Sokka was actually smoking gave Zuko heart palpitations. He decided to go find Aang and dance in a friendly, appropriate manner with him for the rest of the night.

_______________________________________

“Katara I’m telling you, this is the hottest dude you’ve ever seen.” 

“Sokka, respectfully, Aang is the hottest dude I’ve ever seen.” 

“Yeah that’s a joke, Aang and hot don’t belong in the same sentence. Holy shit is Zuko gorgeous though.” Sokka smirked. Katara just rolled her eyes. She was used to Sokka become infatuated with someone immediately upon meeting them then giving it up after a few days. Even she had to admit, Zuko was an attractive guy. The whole broody emo look did a lot for him. Even though he was so incredibly far from her type, she could appreciate his beauty. 

“Is this your first time meeting him or something?” Katara asked with a smirk directed back at her older brother.

“Yes Katara, Jesus his eyes are like lemongrass with flecks of sunlight. I just want to paint him.”

“Like one of your French girls?” Chimed in a very drunk, very red-faced Toph. Her sense of timing was truly impeccable.

“Toph! Did you do more shots? I told you to chill out!” Katara shrieked, Toph was wobbling and directing Katara over to meet her new friends. She insisted they only answer to Pipsqueak and The Duke however. She reluctantly followed Toph over. Sokka was still in a daze, he couldn’t stop thinking about how desperately he wanted that dance with Zuko. It was his favorite song after all, and he had a gorgeous stranger to share it with. He couldn’t possibly ask for more. Well, at least he thought he had a gorgeous stranger to share it with. Zuko was a bit of an enigma, but Sokka loved a challenge. The wavy-haired boy spotted Zuko and Aang sitting by the bar. Sokka’s song had long passed, and he could somewhat recognize the voice of Slowthai blasting through the speakers. He let his hair back down, making sure to fluff it out. He was thankful he chose his thin sleeveless blue King Krule “The Ooz” t-shirt for the night. Not only did it make his arms look incredible, but it made his music taste look incredible as well. He sauntered over to the two men, deciding in that moment that he would make Zuko his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little bit of a shorter chapter guys, but don’t worry it sets up the plot reaallll nice for chapter 3 :))


	3. Skin so Sun-licked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katara's friend's friend invites Zuko to an impromptu brunch at Sokka's. Gayness Ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder for everyone’s ages, Sokka & Zuko are 23, Jet is 27, Katara is 19, Aang & Toph are 18, Ty Lee and Mai are 22. All relationships in this story are minor/background besides Zukka babyy.

Safe to say, Sokka couldn't stop thinking about Zuko. The man was an enigma. Sokka had utterly failed in getting him home that night, so he settled for a look-alike. Of course it wasn't the same. He woke up with a hole in his heart after he realized the man from last night wasn't Zuko. On second thought, the guy barely even looked like him. God what was Sokka thinking? He should absolutely never be trusted to make drunk decisions again. He sent Katara an emergency text to bring pancakes and say it was family breakfast. She sent back the eye roll emoji, but soon enough she pulled through with pancakes and orange juice to make mimosas and the stranger was gone. 

"Was that Zuko?" Katara questioned with a smirk.

"Really Katara?" groned Sokka. His sister murmured something about just wondering before she started opening up the breakfast and pouring drinks. She revealed that because it was a Sunday morning, she had actually decided to throw a brunch. Sokka didn't really care either way, he just texted Toph and Aang to pick up a couple Gelato buds before coming over. They both had medcards, Aang because of his anxiety and Toph because of her well... blindness. Sokka felt bad about saying it sometimes. Anyways, Katara was fussing about making sure Sokka looked presentable again and he couldn't help but roll his eyes. God he really needed those two to hurry with the weed. 

"Who's even coming Katara?"

"Oh I don't know... a friend of a friend invited Zuko."

"A friend of a... what does that even mean?" 

“It means Mai & Ty Lee are coming because I invited them and I may or may not have told them to bring Zuko...” 

“Katara!” Sokka exclaimed.

"Ok fine, Zuko is definitely coming today! I just remembered the way you talked about him the other night and well..." Katara stumbled, eyes downcast as she played with her hair loopies. Katara never stumbled, which was truly a bad sign. Sokka hated to say a more naive part of himself was incredibly excited to see gorgeous creamy skin, long dark hair that draped over Zuko’s shoulders, and a necklace in the shape of a dragon perched on top of elegant collarbones. Sokka had taken every moment he could to memorize the boy’s stunning features when he’d first opened the door to the uber. He’d noticed Zuko’s pale unblemished skin, unlike Sokka’s own which was littered with various symbols on both arms. Zuko’s naturally regal beauty made him stand out in a crowd, but Sokka couldn’t take his eyes off of the enormous red scar covering the left side of the smaller boys face. It was absolutely breathtaking in the best way. A part of Sokka judged himself for finding beauty in something that had probably brought Zuko so much pain, but he was an artist. These things happened and for the most part, they couldn’t be helped. Zuko was officially the most beautiful piece of art Sokka had seen since he went to LACMA with Katara a month ago. Sokka was almost angry with himself for bringing home that other dude. As an artist, he should have known that forgery could never compare to the real piece. The other less gay part of him recognized that Zuko wasn't really as into getting to know men as Sokka thought he'd be. Too bad that hadn’t stopped Sokka from thinking about him. One look at Zuko and his gaydar had went insane, but the other man had more or less run away from Sokka last night. He couldn’t stop thinking about why Zuko had left so abruptly. Maybe he was too drunk and had to yak? But that couldn’t have been it Sokka thought... otherwise Zuko would have came back after. 

Shit.

The guy probably had a girlfriend. Man could Sokka be dense. As if a guy that fucking gorgeous was single. Even if he was, he probably had higher standards than a starving artist from Alaska. Sokka’s upbringing was something he had never been ashamed of. Cold Alaskan winters made for gorgeous paintings, and growing up with his sister and father so close by always made him feel exceptionally loved. A small part of him however knew he probably couldn’t measure up to Zuko. A kid who had probably been raised in Beverly Hills, graduated from Berkeley or some shit like that. Sokka was just himself. He didn’t have jack shit to offer someone as beautiful and cultured as the man he met at the club. The more he thought about it the more sense it made. Sokka had never really clicked with Mai & Ty Lee, of course Zuko was too good for him too. Oh well, those were Katara’s friends and if they can’t see how great Sokka is then fuck them. He had no reason not to be proud of his work. That didn’t mean he was eager to share it with these strangers however. Even if showing his work to strangers was essentially his job, it was just different when said strangers were in your place of dwelling. Breathing over & judging everything...

"Okay Katara can you leave me to get ready dude, I have to put paintings and shit away." Sokka replied, he really needed some alone time. Katara smiled, the corner of her mouth lifting as if she were about to speak when she stopped herself and turned out the door. She could be so funny sometimes Sokka mused with an eye roll. After Katara left, Sokka found himself just as absorbed in thoughts of Zuko as before. Except dear god was the universe really playing a trick on him this time. Every time his thoughts became flooded with Zuko, it was of gorgeous dark hair pulled halfway back. Of cream colored skin and the panicked look in Zuko’s gorgeous gold eyes when Sokka asked him for that dance. Sokka was fucked. He hopped in the shower and gripped his member, inhaling sharply at the touch. He was already so hard. The tattooed male began trying to think about the last time he’d really orgasmed and found himself thinking about when he was with Suki. Yikes... but Sokka felt like a lot less of a creep thinking about someone he'd actually been with. However, his mind kept floating to gold eyes and dark hair as he groaned into his palm. He felt heat pooling in his abdomen as Sokka imagined Zuko’s gorgeous full lips wrapped around his member. His breathing became less and less controlled the filthier his thoughts became until finally, Sokka came with an undignified grunt. Definitely not his proudest moment. “Nice one Sokka, jerking off thinking about the poor straight dude from the club. You’re an ass.” the brown-haired main thought. Just then his phone buzzed and he got a text from Aang. 

“Sick man, I got hella Gelato, lemme grab some cookies too while I’m at it.” Sokka was immensely thankful for his friends.

___________________________

"So we're really going to brunch at Sokka's?" Zuko asked Ty Lee, he rubbed his hands over his healthy eye only to have the brown haired girl let out a squeal next to him. 

"Zuko you're gonna mess up your eyeliner!" Ty Lee replied.

"Haven't you heard Ty, emo's in right now." Mai smirked as Zuko scoffed and stared out the window.

“Maybe... but I just got back from the psyche ward definitely isn’t.” Ty Lee huffed in response.

“Yes Zuko we’re going to brunch at Sokka’s, Katara invited us and Ty Lee thought it’d be nice.”

“Hey so did you!” The peppier of the two girls echoed.

“Mai, since when were you and Katara even friends?” Zuko replied.

“Since Ty Lee met her in Philosophy. We went out for coffee the day after; turns out she’s alright.” Mai finished with a smug little smile to Zuko. 

Damnit he really had to stop letting his friendships overlap so much. Not that he was complaining... Sokka was a vision on a good day, and Zuko didn’t think he’d ever tire of seeing that face. Unfortunately, the dark-haired boy had woken up to seven dick pics from Jet, each taken from a worse angle than the last. He really needed a break from men right now. Problem was, thinking about Sokka made Zuko blush all over. His muscular, tattooed arms gripping the smaller man’s waist. Sokka made Zuko think about men so much more than he wanted to. Pretty soon, he and the girls pulled into the parking structure and took the elevator to Sokka’s floor. Katara was there to greet them immediately, hair swaying back and forth as she chatted casually to Mai about something. Zuko thought he heard her mention mimosas, which was great. Alcohol was always great. Sokka on the other hand had on black sunglasses, a cropped misfits tee and his hair wavy hair was pulled back into a man-bun. His light washed Levi’s fit him flawlessly, tight in the ass and thighs where it count, but loose fit around Sokka’s lean hips. How the fuck could a dude pull off a crop top so well? Jet had tried a couple times when he came to tutor Zuko, but in truth he didn’t look nearly as good. Plus Ozai shut down that phase quickly, didn’t want Zuko to get the “wrong idea” as he so graciously put it. Zuko almost drooled because Sokka was unfairly gorgeous and he knew it. He walked up to Zuko and embraced him, hands lingering for slightly too long on Zuko's lower back. The smaller boy felt his pulse speed up, but he made an effort to talk casually to Sokka and avoid the topic of their previous night. Up close, Zuko could see that many of the beautiful tattoos covering Sokka's arms appeared to be some type of tribal print. Sokka leaned into Zuko's ear and told him his seat had already been prepared next to Aang by the window. This of course resulted in Zuko being smushed in between a very fit Sokka, and a very stoned Aang who was constantly reaching over to throw food at Toph. Sokka wasn’t paying too much attention to Aang, he was mostly focused on his food and phone. Every now and then he’d look up and make eye contact with Zuko (or at least the smaller man thought he did, he couldn't really tell through Sokka's dark shades) who’s heart fluttered in return. He was grateful for the fact that Sokka has barely taken a break from shoveling his face. Zuko really didn’t think he could form words to talk to him at the moment. Of course the universe hated him.

“Hey Zuko, howsit been my man?” Sokka choked out in between a bite of pancakes. Even while stuffing his face like an idiot raised without manners, Sokka still managed to make Zuko swoon. What was with the “my man” shit, wasn’t this guy gay?

“Umm... you know... here and there heh.” Zuko chuckled out awkwardly. Ozai really fucked his social skills over with that early homeschooling. Sokka looked like he had no clue how to reply to that, but bless him he was trying not to let it show on his face. Zuko was berating himself again, he’d been trying to work on forming full sentences when he spoke to people. His therapist, Zhao, had said Zuko had a problem with asserting himself because he felt that his emotional needs weren’t met as a child. Boy was he spot on with that one. Still, it was fucking hard. Mai & Ty Lee knew all about his awkwardness and never pushed him. Sokka was a normal person however, capable of having a normal fucking conversation. Zuko had no clue how to act. He wished he’d payed more attention to the apartment when he first came in, he knew he’d spotted some photos on the wall. Family was usually a good talking point, unless they were fucking psychotic like Zuko’s, but he got the vibe Sokka and Katara were closer than even they realized. Zuko was still thinking over what to say next when Sokka spoke.

“You know, and this might sound creepy as shit so hear me out, you’ve just got such a nice face to paint. Really defined features, and you're... I don’t know if... the scar’s beautiful Zuko.” He finished sincerely, throwing a hesitant smile to the other boy. Zuko really had no fucking clue how to act now. This man, this Adonis had just complimented the ugliest thing about him. He was pretty much shell-shocked. Too bad he couldn’t run away this time. How long was too long to wait to reply to someone in a verbal conversation? Shit Zuko thought, it had for sure been too long. Sokka probably thought he was a freak with no social skills and was regretting his compliment already. Zuko was just too sober for this, he was craving another mimosa but didn’t want to bother Katara. He saw Aang fling a fork full of eggs at Toph from his side, this time Katara finally noticed.

“Aang really? In Sokka’s kitchen? Which is basically my kitchen because Sokka never cooks... I’d expect this from Toph but not you.” She finished sweetly, Katara always knew how to turn Aang into a blubbering apologetic mess. The kid was infatuated with her. Toph looked unapologetic, just as Zuko expected her to. She was doing something weird with her eggs too... before Zuko had a chance to stop her, buttery yellow eggs smacked Katara right under her bright blue eyes. The entire table paused, Sokka and Toph struggling to hold back their laughter whilst the others stared hesitantly at Katara, trying to asses just how pissed off she was. Fuck this was gonna be a long brunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God Zuko is so awkward when he’s not fucked up....


	4. Just Wanna be like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go clubbing again and talk shit about the UC system. This fic is written by someone who grew up in a very similar environment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tw: heavy drug use mentioned, your fav is a c*kehead but we love him anyways.

Yeah, Zuko was definitely fucked up. He had smoked at least three bowls that night. In his defense, it had been a hell of a day. He’d been trying to get in contact with Uncle in Japan all day, only for the phone company to keep dropping his calls. What the fuck? He just really wanted to know that Uncle was okay and he kept getting hit with “Error this message cannot be be sent.” It was lovely having the only family member who thought you were worth a damn living in another country. Anyways, he was headed to The Smell with Toph and Aang again. It was moments like these when Zuko remembered why they were all friends. They were all mega party animals. Besides Katara that is, Zuko couldn’t help but feel bad the poor girl got roped into their group of misfits. He figured she’d probably end up designated driver tonight. Zuko was really excited for the night, hype as the kids would say. The Smell was such an incredible place to let go and be free. He lived for the club environment, but he knew Katara despised it. She had to get a fake just to be able to enter into clubs to get their drunk asses out. She was constantly grumpy after a club night.

Zuko was also convinced she was still mad about brunch. After Toph had thrown the eggs at her, she had grabbed an entire bottle of rosé and went straight to her older brother's room. Zuko knew she was really pissed then, because Katara was probably the one amongst them all most against underage drinking unless it was socially. Sokka had mumbled something along the lines of “Sheesh Hakoda would fliip.” as he started blasting some song over his phone. 'And your love it’s standing next to me.' Fuck, Zuko recognized this song.

“Standing Next To Me, Last Shadow Puppets. I’m a little shocked, didn’t really think this was your vibe...” Zuko mumbled, smiling over at Sokka after the incident with his sister. 

“Dude I’m wearing a fucking Misfits shirt, when you met me I was in a King Krule shirt, why wouldn’t you think this was my vibe?” Sokka snorted, lightly shoving Zuko’s arm. He’d felt his entire body light up at the contact. Why did Sokka have such a talent for choosing the gayest songs?

Back in the present day, Zuko just really needed to go clubbing. Thinking about Sokka was driving him fucking insane. So he’d decided to rally the troops. The troops were down of course, and soon enough Toph and Aang were playing some drinking game in Zuko’s kitchen. Zuko has resigned himself to weed for the night. He really didn’t need to wake up hungover as shit. Waking up a little groggy and cotton mouthed was fine. He needed to gain a bit of weight anyways, Jet had always told him that. Zuko bounded down the stairs to see Toph in a green sparkly cowboy hat.

“Toph where the hell did you get that thing.” Zuko choked out, he could barely hold back his laughter. 

“It’s cool as fuck Zuko, stop laughing at me.” Toph responded, trying and failing to sound genuinely hurt. She then proceeded to walk over and punch Zuko in the arm.

“Ouch, fuck I was laughing with you Toph.” 

“Can we get the fuck on so I can see the friends of mine I actually like.” Zuko vaguely recognized a blind joke somewhere in there. He decided to keep it to himself, manners and all that. It was no ones business but his when he spent the entire Uber ride to the club chuckling. When he got in, he turned around and as always prepared for the security to tell Aang and Toph to shove their fakes up their asses. The worst case scenario. Of course it never happened and those bastards got in. Zuko immediately heard A$AP Rocky as he entered the club. This was definitely a vibe, Zuko began dancing, getting lost within the music when he spotted Sokka over in the corner. No fucking way he thought. He slowly made his way over, noticing a Pabst Blue Ribbon in Sokka’s hands. Of course he drank that beer, and of course that made Zuko even more aroused. He knew Jet would kill him, but more and more his body began to desire Sokka. 

“Yo Zuko? What’s good my man, these are some of Toph’s homies Smellerbee and Longshot. Longshot’s like this huge east coast bow and arrow champion. Kids got like ‘thousand awards. Smellerbee what a bout you?” Sokka sounded fucked up, and definitely like he was off more than pot or alc. 

“I just fucking hater showering man.” Smellerbee concluded, the others broke out in laughs.

“So Zuko, we’re talking about UC schools and how ass they are. The system is like rigged as fuck.” Sokka declared once the gaang had calmed down.

“Oh... I wouldn’t know much.” Zuko shyly stated. He was hating being the center of this fucking conversation.

“Why’s that man? You’re like rich, somewhat privileged.” Sokka stated smugly. Something in his tone pissed Zuko off. He was beginning to feel as if he might have misjudged Sokka.

“I’m from Upstate New York, I went to Washington & Lee a small Liberal Arts University. I don’t really know shit about the UC system.” Zuko huffed, he was beginning to feel his face heating up. He just felt thoroughly insulted by Sokka. 

“Shit sorry... for real Zuko we shouldn’t have assumed. I just meant like fuck UC you know, that’s why I went to San Jose State.” Sokka replied, looking genuinely apologetic. 

“All my friends go to UC, including your sister.” Zuko countered Sokka. He was beginning to grow tired of talking about this in a fucking club. He felt his anxiety getting the better of him, but he had no clue where Aang was with the pen.

“Yeah but UCSC is different, it’s the cool UC. Like they’re all there for different things but all their programs are super good, I think-“ Zuko felt himself zoning out of the conversation. Since when did Sokka care this much about the UC system? He needed to piss, and he made a beeline for the nearest bathroom. Of course The Smell had gender neutral bathrooms, shit like that made him smile. Zuko walked straight into the stall, so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice the door open and close behind him. 

“Got bored?” Sokka’s voice chuckled. Zuko jumped a bit.

“Why did you follow me...” the straight haired man replied. 

“Zuko that voice of yours is like two scoops of honey in your favorite morning tea.” Zuko felt himself blush distinguishably. 

“Are you a tea lover too then?” Zuko found himself replying confidently, a small smile forming on his lips. Sokka looked up at Zuko and smiled hesitantly, running his tongue over his lips.

“It’s delicious. Making quality tea is an art form... there’s a certain beauty to it.” 

“There’s a certain beauty in so many of this world’s most understated things.” Zuko found himself replying as he stared into Sokka’s eyes. 

“Zuko you wouldn’t happen to be an artist too? I’m worried we have too much in common man.” Sokka chuckled, throwing an easy arm over Zuko and leading him out of the restroom casually. Zuko faintly heard the same Glass Animals song playing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sokka break into a smirk. The song was just fucking starting. This was just his luck. Sokka sheepishly got down on one knee and Zuko had never felt so much fear coursing through his body at once.

“Zuko... shit I just realized I don’t know your last name.” Sokka said, smiling up at Zuko gently. Who was he to deny this precious blue eyed boy anything?

“My name is Zuko Ryū.” He replied with an easy smile.

“Zuko Ryū, beautiful name by the way, may I have this dance?” 

“You just don’t quit do you.” 

“What can I say? A man’s got game.” Sokka winked. Zuko wasn’t sure if this was his life or a fucking 80s teen movie, but he was fine with whatever got him to spend more time with Sokka and see that tan, slightly sweaty skin beneath the club lights. 

The boys felt themselves getting more and more comfortable with each other’s bodies as they danced together. They felt as if they were molding into one being. Zuko had to admit he was an absolute sucker for the closeness. He could never get this close to Jet without feeling like he had to fucking vomit. That guy was just... someone Zuko never wanted to see in the daylight. Zuko had to admit this song was incredibly vibey and beautiful. Sokka had really really good music taste. 

“Sokka, we should start a band!” Zuko found himself yelling into Sokka’s ear. 

“You serious?” The wavy haired man replied.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Ugh...” Zuko mumbled something else that he hoped was incomprehensible to Sokka. The other man didn’t look like he wanted to throttle him instantly, so he took that as a positive sign. 

“Sorry if that came off rude, I’m totally down Zuko but you just seem like a busy guy.” Fuck, how Zuko wished Sokka could just see through him. See through to the fact that he spent his days running around calling Uncle and working at the tea shop as a ruse. It wasn’t reality, it was a fantasy life meant to hide how shiftless Zuko really was. Uncle could get on a plane whenever he desired and manage his own tea shop. Zuko was just fucking around like he always did.

“Yeah you’re right, fucking swamped actually.” Zuko replied dryly, trying to hold back the lump in his throat. He heard Sokka inhale deeply. He looked up and was met with the full force of Sokka’s beauty. Zuko barely had a moment to think before soft dark pink lips, tinted slightly with brown were on top of his own baby pink ones. Zuko all but fucking moaned into the kiss. He had wanted this more than he wanted to breathe air he thought. Sokka was irresistible to him, the darker skinned man kissed just as passionately as he seemed to do everything else in his life. He felt hands all over him, stroking his cock through his jeans, grabbing at his long hair, pulling his neck to one side to leave exposed love marks. Sokka was fucking everywhere and Zuko absolutely adored it. He was only human after all, and there was no way he could resist attention from a man this beautiful. Nothing could ruin this moment, except of course Smellerbee whistling to them as they were on the dance floor. He then waltzed over, like the drunken asshole he was. In the middle of their kiss, thought Zuko. 

“Sokka man, want a bump?” Zuko froze at hearing these words. He knew Sokka did drugs, so did everyone else, but coke was a shock. Coke was reserved for frat boys who ended up beating their wives, not smart passionate artist like Sokka. Zuko really tried to shove down the judgement he felt crawling up through his spine.

“Man I’m kinda fucking busy...” Sokka all but growled at Smellerbee. Now Zuko felt bad. He hadn’t meant to cause anything between Sokka and his friends, he just wasn’t used to see people do coke. Period. He realized it was probably his fault, he wasn’t being open minded enough. Sokka was an educated guy, he probably knew what he was doing. Fuck.

“Hey I’ll get one too.” Zuko croaked. Smellerbee turned to him in shock. Sokka just scoffed and mumbled.

“Cmon then dude.” Smellerbee replied, leading Zuko to the back of the club. 

“Fuck that, Zuko lets go. You don’t know these dudes like I do.” Sokka said as he grabbed Zuko’s arm to stop him. Zuko had never felt so conflicted in all his life. He just wanted to be cool like Sokka, to understand him and his intricate, artistic mind. Fuck, maybe he was a little too stoned. 

“Alright, cmon then...” he grumbled to Sokka, allowing himself to be led to the back section of the club.

“You look like shit.” Sokka stated bluntly.

“Where’s Katara, I wanna go to iHop.” Zuko grumbled.

“Katara’s with Haru and those Anthropology Department kids tonight. Suki’s the one driving.” Oh great, Sokka’s ex, Zuko thought. He’d heard a bit about her from Ty Lee; somehow Ty seemed to know everything about everyone’s business. As if his night truly couldn’t get any worse. She was probably a really nice really beautiful girl that Zuko would find no logical reason to dislike. Hell Mai might even like her. Zuko shuddered at the thought. He really had to stop letting his friend groups mix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. The Smell is a real place in LA it’s just not the super grunge 21+ club I’m portraying it to be.


	5. Pool Paintings on the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko shares more about his rich ass upbringing, Sokka has a crush.

The weed was slowly starting to leave Zuko's system, and he felt his anxiety coming back. So he spent the entire ride back from the club thinking about Japan. He had always wondered what it would be like to have a life there with Uncle. Zuko knew the man would never move to America, no matter how much he talked about “expanding the business”. Ever since Lu Ten’s death in the army, Uncle Iroh had stayed close to Japan. He only left if he absolutely had to for business, but with Zuko taking care of the shop in California and it being years since the incident with Ozai... Iroh hadn’t needed to leave Japan for a while. Zuko couldn’t say he blamed him, but he did resent Ozai. Fucking asshole, culture was important, Zuko didn’t want his kids to be whitewashed just because Ozai had beef with Zuko’s only decent family member. It was because of Ozai that Zuko hadn’t visited Japan for most of his childhood. The guy really could hold a grudge. Zhao had been pushing Zuko to explore how some of his father’s actions have affected him now. Being an absolute dumbass with no set of boundaries was one. In the back seat of the car of some random guy’s ex? Zuko acted like he was on a fucking tv show sometimes, so that had to be two. Even if he had made out with that random guy, been to his apartment, and his friends were your friends. Alright, three then. It was almost weird how little boundaries Zuko had. He barely knew shit about Sokka or Suki, but she had been nice. Offered Zuko gum when he got in the car and everything. Now, she was mentioning something about a kickback she had gone to earlier.

“It was at this beach house up in Malibu, like hella weed right.” Suki started.

“Hella weed man.” Sokka mocked as he laughed lazily. Suki flipped him the bird as she drove.

“Fuck off Sokka, anyways it was dope. Only problem was the neighbors are like these rich ass old white people. They come outside to talk to the girl whose parents own the house...” Suki glanced at the boys dramatically, pausing for suspense. Sokka gasped, earning a chuckle from Suki and an eye roll from Zuko. This story wasn’t even that interesting. Why did Sokka care so much?

“Anyways, they were like we wanna talk to the owners of this house it smells fishy whatever.... they end up getting her rolled for smoking pot. In fucking 2020 you guys, some shit about open containment!” Suki snorted, throwing a hand up in exasperation. He distantly heard Sokka react next to him, as Suki carried on the conversation with ease. Zuko had to admit she had a natural charisma, which he unfortunately had the opposite of. As a result of this, Zuko was almost positive Mai would like her. He was thankful her car was small as fuck and the others had opted for an Uber instead. Small miracles, Zuko thought. He’d been having a lot of those recently. One of them being he’d gotten to dance with Sokka to "his" song. The night had been a dream, and Zuko was somewhat terrified for it to end. What if Sokka was only like this because he was on coke, or what if it had all been a ruse to get Zuko to bone him? Fuck, Zuko’s anxiety was really setting in by the time Suki dropped both of them off in front of Sokka’s apartment. It took Zuko’s slightly groggy brain a second to catch up.

“Wait Sokka you can’t drive me home.” Zuko stared worriedly.

“I know dude. Just spend the night here.” Zuko felt his pulse spike at those words. However, he detected no ill intent on Sokka’s behalf. In fact, the wavy-haired boy was as genuine as ever and Zuko was so in awe of him. Sokka smiled at him as he ushered Zuko into his place and began to light a cigarette.

“Not much, but it’s something.” Sokka said taking a drag from his cig.

“I think it’s beautiful in here because it feels alive. The house I grew up in always felt cold.” Zuko finished, he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes. Not right now, he thought, as he calmed himself down and mentally counted to ten. He could handle this. Zuko was in the living room, not mesmerized by the glow of Sokka’s tan skin in the morning, so he could fully pay attention to the details of the place. He looked around and used what he saw to ground himself. Some cookbooks, family photos, a tv, acrylic paint, a rag with different paints splashed on it, normal shit like that. It was cozy; Zuko imagined it felt like home. He noticed Sokka had various paintings on the wall. One was of a girl with white hair cascading down her dark skin. Her bright blue eyes stood out most to Zuko. They appeared so wide and full of life in the painting. The other paintings were of these stunning mountainous regions, and Zuko couldn’t help to admire their beauty as he examined the little initials painted onto the bottom corner of each work: S.A.

“S.A.?” Zuko questioned aloud.

“Sokka Amka, don’t wear it out.” Sokka replied, smirking as he did. Zuko felt himself blush.

“Your art is stellar, the fact that you’re the artist I... I’ve never seen anything like it.” Zuko rushed, feeling incredibly grateful to be in the presence of a man like Sokka.

“I find it hard to believe you’ve never seen a quality piece.” Sokka chuckled. 

“That’s not what I meant, I... you know, I grew up with Hockney “Portrait of An Artist” on the wall in my house. I never felt any sort of connection to it. Any real appreciation for it. But with your art...” Zuko stopped himself. He was rambling again, and he was probably making his company uncomfortable. Sokka, kind Sokka, was just staring at Zuko with soft eyes. 

“Art is very personal, many people don’t realize their affinity for it until they feel that connection to one specific piece.” Sokka replied. He always knew the most perfect thing to say to an awkward mess of a boy like Zuko. How was Sokka like this, perfectly charming yet so candid at the same time? Everything about the way he carried himself impressed Zuko. Sokka took another drag of his cigarette; he turned his head about 45 degrees to avoid blowing smoke into Zuko’s face. When he was finished, their faces were inches apart. Zuko saw the gorgeous man in front of him glance at his lips, and suddenly he was kissing Sokka for all he was worth. 

__________________________

Sokka pulled Zuko onto his lap as he opened up his mouth more and more for Zuko’s tongue. Fuck, this boy made Sokka feel like he was on fire. Like he was a virgin who’d never been touched, and boy it was fucking embarrassing. Zuko was supposed to be the awkward one here. The thinner man gripped onto Sokka’s bicep, letting out a soft moan as his member made contact with his lover’s through Sokka’s jeans.

“I know baby, I know.” Sokka teased, sucking love marks into Zuko’s creamy white throat. Sokka didn’t know when they’d broken the kiss, but found he wasn’t disappointed. He couldn’t wait for Zuko’s hickeys to darken on his skin. Sokka would hate to miss that, he made a mental note to ask Zuko out to breakfast tomorrow somewhere warm.

“Sokka- I” Zuko stumbles, blush intensifying.

“I know baby, I don't want to hurt you okay? Want to take my time with you lovely..” Sokka cooed, kissing Zuko gently on the lips, making sure to flick his lower lip with his tongue a couple times. Zuko purred and arched his body into Sokka’s, and that gave Sokka all the adrenaline he needed. He lifted Zuko off his lap a bit and began stripping the smaller man fully, groaning a bit at the site of Zuko’s hard pink cock twitching for him. God Zuko’s body was truly a work of art, so sensitive and prone to warm hues. From the blush of his cheek to the pretty flush of his cock to Zuko’s reddening, puffy lips. Sokka’s boy was truly a site to behold, the wavey haired man had never felt such possessiveness before. He hastily took Zuko into his mouth, pleasantly surprised to find all of his partner’s length fit down his throat. Zuko became more and more sensitive to the point where he was arching his hips up into Sokka’s mouth. Sokka gagged a bit on his lover’s cock, but he had to admit he somewhat enjoyed it. Zuko couldn’t stop writhing and panting, each little sound making pride swell within Sokka’s chest more and more. This boy would be the death of him. 

“Sokka... I’m... fuck I’m-“ was all Zuko managed to stutter out before he was cumming hot white spurts down Sokka’s throat. Sokka swallowed, delighted to find Zuko didn’t really have a taste. Zuko slowly lowered his hips down back onto Sokka’s lap. Now that the larger man had a better angle, he tilted his head up slightly to kiss the panting boy on the mouth. Sokka pulled away slowly, having no real desire to break their tender kiss. He noticed Zuko’s hair had fallen out of his signature half-up half-down style at some point and was framing his face in a beautiful raven colored halo. Sokka adored him. Zuko had stopped panting, but was struggling to find words. Sokka decided to flip Zuko over, so the smaller man was laying with his back on Sokka’s couch and Sokka was now straddling him.

“What’s on your mind sexy?” Sokka purred, trying to sound much more seductive then necessary. It made Zuko scoff, probably because he had already been thoroughly seduced by Sokka. The wavy-haired boy felt pride swell within his chest once again.

“Want me to do you?” Zuko choked out in a small voice.

“Fucking thought you’d never ask.” Sokka chuckled as he removed his belt and flung his pants to the floor.

_______________________________

“It’s fucking insane your family owns an original Hockney.” Sokka blurted out. They’d finished giving each other oral about an hour ago, and they had been laying on Sokka's somewhat tattered couch lazily. Zuko had to admit he'd wanted to go farther, but Sokka was reluctant. The smaller boy was secretly thankful, he'd already whored himself out enough for the night as Jet would say. Zuko almost wretched at the thought of his ex. If Jet even got the slightest clue of what he was doing right now... Thankfully, Sokka chose that moment to grab his pack of Marlboro's, light one up, take a long, beautiful drag and offer the cig to Zuko hesitantly. Fuck it, the smaller boy thought. He really needed it if he was planning on having this conversation...

“Yeah...” Zuko blushed, regretting that the weed and his instant attraction to this man had made him so loose lipped. He really didn’t want people knowing about his upbringing because well... that was a fucking disaster. 

“You know it’s so freaky, Ryū Corp is this huge ass Japanese business corporation that has offices based in Cali & New York too, I was googling shit the other day.” Sokka finished.

“You google now?” Zuko mocked, taking a drag of the cigarette between them, trying not to let his distaste show. He hated these things, but he didn’t want to refuse a drag and bum Sokka out.

“I google now.” Sokka smirked back, snatching the cig out of Zuko’s hands. 

“That’s crazy though, wouldn’t know much about that.” Zuko attempted to lie with ease.

“Weird, Ty Lee told me a lot about it last night.” 

“Fuck, she’s a gossip okay. Love the girl but shit...” Zuko choked out, trying and failing to sound casual. He was such a jackass, a stupid little gay stoner. How long did he think he could keep this from Sokka again? 

“That may or may not be my father and Uncle’s company, although my Uncle gave up that life.” Zuko breathed out, avoiding looking Sokka in the eyes.

“Your father and Uncle’s millionaire dollar trading company?” Sokka echoed. Zuko couldn’t blame him for sounding shocked as fuck. That really wasn’t something you just forgot to mention. 

“Yeah, I- I know I seem like a Tory but my Uncle is a simple man now... he just owns a couple tea shops. He’s looking to expand the business.” Zuko finished as he attempted to smooth out his hair. He chanced a glance at Sokka and was surprised to find he didn’t look mad, more so amused. Zuko let out the breathe he didn’t realize he was holding.

“Looking to expand huh... colonizer.” 

“Hey!” 

“I’m indigenous baby, I get to make those jokes all day.” Sokka stated calmly, causing Zuko to choke on his own laughter. The smaller man paused for a moment, before deciding Sokka was worth it. 

“Anyways, I grew up with my Uncle... in a way. I haven’t lived the lifestyle my dad and Azula live for a long time.” Zuko breathed sadly. 

________________________

Sokka felt a part of his heart break for this beautiful boy in front of him. He began to wonder what the fuck was wrong with his sister and dad? How could they not see how fucking amazing Zuko was? He deserved so much better than these assholes. Sokka wished he could kiss every shred of self-doubt out of Zuko through those pretty pink lips. The guy was too miraculous to go around believing that he was anything less.

“Fuck em, forget I asked.” Sokka replied, smiling up at Zuko. “It’s late as fuck, and I enjoy Taco Bell and Simpsons marathons at this hour.” 

“I’ve never seen The Simpsons.” Zuko confessed.

“That’s a fucking crime.” Sokka shot back with an easy smile. Zuko, bless his heart, giggled in return. Sokka knew he was absolutely fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I’ve NEVER written smut before, so I’m really stepping out of my comfort zone here. I’d love feedback :) I always do well with that haha.


	6. Wish that We could be Real Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka is hungover, a simp, & very forgetful...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Sokka was the world's biggest dumbass if the burning in his nose and pounding in his head was anything to go by. Every single time he did blow... weird shit went down. There was the orgy with most of Suki’s warriors, the time he thought he was Jordan Belford and purposely crashed his car into a tree... you know, in comparison his night with Zuko really hadn’t been that weird. To be honest... Sokka found the experience to be so heart achingly sweet it kind of scared him. Only because said guy was Zuko Ryü; had it been anyone else, Sokka would definitely call last night strange as fuck. Definitely. Zuko was so gentle though, it hurt Sokka deeply to see the look on his face when his family came up. He’d never been the greatest at dealing with emotional stuff, that was more Katara’s area of expertise.. so he did what he knew best. He distracted his sweet boy with dazzlingly charm and humor. Sokka thought about how he’d probably never had followed Zuko into the bathroom, or used that cheesy ass pickup line about tea of all things if he hadn’t done a few lines. Maybe blow wasn’t all bad. Not that Sokka was shy or anything, Zuko was just a bit unpredictable and it helped to have a little extra courage. The kiss had shocked the fuck out of him, but not at all in a bad way. After their previous club night, he was convinced Zuko did not fuck with men. He was so fucking happy the spark he’d felt at the club wasn’t one-sided. Even though they hadn't taken it that far, the night he had finally got to taste his gorgeous Zuko in _almost_ all the ways he'd wanted had been so perfect. Sokka couldn't find the words to describe it then, and he certainly couldn't now. He felt his vision blur a little as he remembered how Zuko came _so_ much... and _so_ hard that Sokka felt like the other man had released a waterfall into his mouth. Yeah.. that train of thought was definitely a bit much this morning... afternoon? Shit. Sokka clicked the little button on his phone, only to see 12:50 pm pop up in front of the background of Hakoda giving him a noogie with Katara rolling her eyes fondly behind them. Beautiful, Sokka thought with an eye roll, he'd pretty much slept the entire day away. Guess that's what happens when you stay up well into the next day watching fucking cartoons. He wasn’t really mad, the night he’d gotten to spend with Zuko was goddamn hallowed. He just felt a bit irresponsible was all. None of his other hookups had had such an impact on his daily routine. Then again, Zuko was far from anything like Sokka’s other hookups. The mental comparison almost felt disrespectful in a way, because no one could compare to the masterpiece he’d gotten to spend the night with. Sokka was really in deep with this little crush... he just wished he knew if Zuko felt the same. After the postmates arrived with their late night snack, Zuko became much harder to read. He scooted farther away from Sokka on the couch, and seemed to hug his long legs into himself. If Sokka didn’t know any better, and they hadn’t just finished having oral sex, he would have thought Zuko was... afraid him. The thought of anyone hurting this precious boy next to him suddenly filled Sokka with so much anger. He needed to calm down, and he took that moment as the perfect opportunity to introduce Zuko to the Simpsons. It had gone over well, despite the pale boy’s initial confusion.

"Why are all the adults so stupid, did that cop just drink on the job?" Zuko questioned, taking a bite of his Doritos Locos taco and squinting suspiciously at Sokka's little tv. His adorable, slightly predictable, reaction had made Sokka smile as wide as a man could at 3:00 am whilst coming down off coke and trying to hold back the drip from hell. Sokka's eyes slid back over to Zuko, only to see him taking another fairly large bite of his taco. That mouth just didn't stop... Sokka thought with a naughty little smirk. Zuko quickly glanced in his direction and blushed instantly under the weight of the blue eyed man's smirk. 

"They're stupid on purpose Zuko, that's the irony of it." Sokka responded, leaning back and sipping his baja blast. He has just been dying to call the boy by his name one more time, not only for his own pleasure, but to see how Zuko would react. To Sokka’s surprise, he didn’t. React that is... he just hummed a bit and seemed to nod his head in understanding. God he was precious, Sokka thought as the feeling of immense fondness he harbored for the man seemed to grow even more. It was probably another hour or two, long enough to get through a few more episodes, before both boys had passed out on the couch. The endorphins from their night finally wearing off as the cheap fast food lulled them into drowsiness.

Now though, as Sokka growled and stretched out his stiff back and neck, he realized Zuko was gone. Sokka wasn't sure how he felt about that. Of course it hurt, even though he hated to admit it. He was disappointed, heartbroken even if he really wanted to be dramatic about it. Despite this, the wavy-haired man honestly couldn't say he was shocked by Zuko’s decision to dip before Sokka woke up. His boy just was just so peculiar... his behavior bordering on neurotic. One minute, he was looking at Sokka with that gorgeous sparkle in his yellow eyes, blushing and smiling and seeming almost devoted to him. Then, it's as if he would switch a part of himself off and try to distance himself from Sokka. Sure Zuko was a bit awkward, Sokka had definitely come to notice that, but even in his awkwardness there was a certain charm... a certain warmth. He would take awkward, fumbling Zuko who was prone to oversharing, over the Zuko who retreated into his own head and appeared to hold the most beautiful parts of himself back any day. Sokka just wished he had the sense to get his sweet boy’s phone number while he was still here. His first thought was to ask Katara, but he was a grown man who could really do without his baby sister teasing him over his crush. Especially when he was struggling to figure out if Zuko even returned his feelings. There was Aang, who Zuko seemed to be pretty close with, but it was almost guaranteed anything he told Aang would make its way to Katara at light speed. Ty Lee seemed more fond of him than Mai, but as he scrolled through his phone he realized he didn't even have her phone number. Man. That just left Toph who was admittedly his last resort. Not that Sokka didn't like her, quite the contrary; Sokka respected the shit out of her. She was a neuroscience major who managed to kick everyone in her class's ass academically, and definitely would physically if they crossed her, despite her disability. Sokka realized not long after brunch that that term sat better with him than ‘blindness’ did. Not to mention the girl could really hold her liquor and she'd always been funny as fuck. Only problem was... she loved to tease the living shit out of Sokka and was often outright mean about it, unlike his baby sister. The blue-eyed man really didn't know if his ego could handle Toph when he had just woken up and was so painfully sober. He thought for a minute before coming to the conclusion that for Zuko, he'd put up with the tiny girl's smart ass mouth. He was just about to shoot her a text when Misfit's Halloween started blasting through his phone and Joo Dee's named popped up. He hated the creepy ass contact photo his mentor had insisted he add to his phone. Whenever she called, no matter what time of the day it was, Sokka was assaulted with the image of her big, pretentious smile. Fucking Joo Dee. 

"Yo." Sokka answered shortly, holding back a scoff at Joo Dee's phony little giggle. 

"Sokka, we've discussed this... as your mentor I expect you to address me in a more respectful manner." She cooed, sounding as fake as ever. Sokka would let Toph peg him before he did that. 

"Sorry. Anyway, what is it... I'm pretty busy." Sokka attempted to lie as he rolled his eyes. 

"Busy preparing your paintings for the exhibition I would hope..." Joo Dee said in her fake cheery voice. Ah shit. 

"Uh yeah... but that's not for another like two months Joo Dee. I got time..." Sokka tried to convince himself. 

"The exhibition is in three weeks Sokka, so I'll take that as a joke. Miss June has asked me to check in with you because most of our other artist have given her at least a couple of their pieces so she can begin curating the exhibit. You have given her nothing Sokka." The woman said pointedly. Sokka could still hear that damn smile in her words. As much as he couldn't stand her, he had to admit she was right. He knew if he didn't get his work turned into June really fucking soon, The Getty would drop him from the exhibit and pick up another artist whose pieces had much more to say. Sokka felt the burn of shame deep in his gut. Plenty of people would actually kill to be in the his place, and here he was shitting all over the opportunity. Hakoda would be so disappointed in him right now. As aggravating as Joo Dee's personality was, he was secretly thankful he'd gotten her as a mentor. She always scared Sokka into getting his shit done. 

"Yeah haha.. you got me Joo Dee... pretty funny joke right?" Sokka replied in an attempt to ease the tension. Joo Dee paused for a minute, and Sokka took the opportunity to put her on speaker and search his couch for his pack of cigs. This woman stressed him the fuck out. Shit, he stressed him the fuck out. Just as Sokka was about to light up, Joo Dee burst out in the most phony laughter the man had ever heard, causing Sokka to jump a bit and nearly light his entire apartment on fire. Fucking Joo Dee. She cut herself off abruptly before replying. 

"Send Miss June images of your pieces with your full name, the title of your piece, and the proper dates by next week Sokka. Even if your paintings are unfinished, Miss June will not scold you because that is my job. She simply needs that information to begin working on your object labels." Sokka felt his heart drop straight into his ass... no way did she say next fucking week... why the fuck couldn't he just tell her the truth Sokka thought as he smoked and paced around his apartment anxiously. He had no clue what he was planning on doing, he had been so impressed with himself for even getting the opportunity to display his pieces in the goddamn _Getty_ that he may or may not have spent the past month going on a celebratory bender... Now he was fucked, and the stress of having to whip up some half done paintings within a week was making him want to go on another bender. However, Sokka got the feeling that if he admitted any of that to Joo Dee she'd get him kicked out the program so fast his head would spin. Even though she was his mentor, she was more concerned with how good Sokka's art made her look to the higher-ups. The stick up her ass would definitely snap in two if his irresponsibility made her look sus in any way. Sokka sighed heavily. 

"Will do Joo." The broad-shouldered man replied, smirking a little. Humor was always the perfect tool to deflect, especially because Joo Dee hated it when he rhymed. She hated it even more when Sokka called her by her first name only. He heard her huff briefly, shocked she'd even let an emotion other than unnecessarily cheery show, before she abruptly hung up on him. If he were about four years younger, he definitely would have called her a fucking bitch in his head. Thanks to Katara and Suki's crash course on feminism however, he knew better than to disrespect a woman that way. He also knew better than to blame his sour mood entirely on her. Sokka took another long drag of his cig, thinking about how hard he’d have to grind to make this deadline. If only he had a muse to stir up some inspiration... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bahahaha, fucking Joo Dee. A close friend of mine actually had an exhibit at the Getty, except hers was photography and her mentor wasn’t as creepy. The next chapter (which I’ve already started writing) is from Zuko’s pov & an unsavory guest pays him a surprise visit...


End file.
